Growing your own - is it worth it?

[umslopogaas]

Sorry, post 599, that should have read if you CANT get Systhane.

[doversoul1]

Talking about plant diseases

umslopogaas
Do you know how to prevent mosaic virus? I’m sure this was what my Nicotiana (tobacco plants/flowering tobacco) suffered. It spread to the outdoor cucumbers and touched the pumpkins. I have been growing Nicotiana for years but this was the first time they suffered anything at all.

[umslopogaas]

doversoul, according to my books nicotianas are often infected by viruses. The only way to prevent viruses in susceptible plants is to eliminate the vector. All viruses need something to spread them around, and in the case of plants the most common vector is aphids. They feed on a plant infected with virus and their mouthparts become contaminated, then they fly to a healthy plant and infect it. So, spray to control aphids. Also try to avoid growing tomato and potato plants nearby, because these are in the same family and are often infected. Also wash your hands and pruners after handling potato and tomato plants before you handle nicotianas, because the viruses are easily transmitted on your fingers or knives.

The virus is probably cucumber mosaic virus, which is very common and has a very wide host range including tomatoes, potatoes and cucurbits, including cucumber and pumpkin. It is transmitted by aphids.

[gradus]

Clematis suffer from wilt (Phoma clematidina). Large flowered varieties are very susceptible. The fungus produces spores on wilted stems that are spread by water: yours may have been contaminated before you bought it, but only developed symptoms after planting.

Hydrangeas suffer from stem infection by the grey mould fungus Botrytis cinerea. This affects a wide range of plants - it could also have been responsible for the clematis problem - and also exists as a saprophyte, feeding on dead plant material. Under very humid conditions you will see an outgrowth of fluffy grey mould on the affected parts, but under drier conditions this wont be visible.

The fungicides available to gardeners are Systhane Fungus Fighter, made by Bayer, which is systemic and curative, and several versions of copper oxychloride, which are only protective. At least, I hope Systhane is still available, my bottle is a couple of years old. Check the local Homebase for latest info. If you can get Systhane, give replacement plants a spray as soon as you buy them. Botrytis is particularly a problem when the plants are stressed, eg after transplanting, once they are established it should be less of a problem.

Many thanks for the advice, I'll give the spraying a go. The hydrangea though looking very shrivelled and sorry still has green under the surface of the stems, possibly recoverable?

[greenilex]

Just don't spray anywhere near the New Forest, the restaurateurs will have conniptions...

[umslopogaas]

If the roots are still alive it might recover, assuming I'm right about a grey mould infection. It depends on whether or not the infection has completely girdled the stem.

If its going to upset the restaurateurs, just dont tell them ... ?

[doversoul1]

umslopogaas
Thank you for your detailed advice. I was going to say I’d feed the birds less so they’d have to find their own food but the birds that feed on aphids are not usually seeds and peanuts eating lot. Now I know what it is, I’ll get the spray out as soon as I see the sign.

gradus
If yours are young plants, it could be some burrowing animals disturbing /have disturbed the roots.

[Jonathan]

Our tomatoes have been utterly hopeless this year, despite regular feeding.

[umslopogaas]

jonathan #608 are they growing inside or outside? Outside it might be that blight is a problem and spraying in future might help. Inside, watering is important and so is pollination, you might need to buy a paintbrush and tickle the flowers if there arent any bees around to do the job.

[doversoul1]

The sweetcorn started very poorly but managed to grow enough to have mature corn/cobs. But the squirrels have learned about them and helped themselves to about one third. I had to pick the rest although they were not all fully matured. Squirrels have been around for several years but this is the first time we had this problem. The new generation obviously learns new things Bother. I have a couple of squirrel ladders over the rabbit fence, so that they can plant sunflowers in my vegetable garden (they come and harvest the seeds when the flowers finish). I shall have to think about something next year.

By the way, I don’t think I have seen a single wasp this summer. The conference pears are nearly ready bit no sign of wasp bites. I wonder what happened to them.

[Dave2002]

Too much neglect ....

The one remaining alpine strawberry plant, which looked quite healthy a week or two back was left to its own devices in the kitchen for perhaps too long.
I'm now trying to revive it - moved it into a sunnier spot, and watered it. Keeping my fingers crossed - it might just come round. Not sure if it would stand going outside, though regular strawberries which I largely ignore do seem to survive each winter.

[gurnemanz]

Never had so many Conference pears. Branches drooping down with the weight of them. Enough usually survive storage to keep us going for weeks.

[Jonathan]

jonathan #608 are they growing inside or outside? Outside it might be that blight is a problem and spraying in future might help. Inside, watering is important and so is pollination, you might need to buy a paintbrush and tickle the flowers if there arent any bees around to do the job.

Sorry, I utterly missed your message Umslopogaas, been frantic recently. The tomatoes were indoors, in our conservatory and I think they suffered when it was very hot which they never really recovered from. I had 4 tomatoes in all, only 1 was a decent size and all didn't taste very good. Will try again next year! Thanks for the advice...

[umslopogaas]

If taste is a problem, it is probably the variety that is the cause. The popular variety is "Moneymaker", which sounds good because of the name, but actually tastes like a bag of water stained red. Try any of the cherry varieties, they taste great. Plant World Seeds (www.plant-world-seeds.com) have a fantastic range of tomato varieties available as seed.

[gradus]

Too much neglect ....

The one remaining alpine strawberry plant, which looked quite healthy a week or two back was left to its own devices in the kitchen for perhaps too long.
I'm now trying to revive it - moved it into a sunnier spot, and watered it. Keeping my fingers crossed - it might just come round. Not sure if it would stand going outside, though regular strawberries which I largely ignore do seem to survive each winter.

I find alpine strawberries do well on neglect and are as tough as old boots,this includes being left in 4 inch pots for months with only very occasional rain to relieve their thirst, in short plants for that most valuable of qualities, the ability to thrive in dry shade.